Lazok
Lazok is a veteran Toa warrior, formerly of the Academy, the Kin, and ex-Professor of Literature and Combat at the Towers of the Scholars. He is currently within the Inheritance. Appearance See also: Gallery:Lazok Nature and Personality Mostly calm and collected, Lazok rarely speaks unless he has something valuable to contribute. Back in the Academy, the only time his classmates saw him smile was when he was in the thick of battle and enjoying himself. A bit of a combat junkie, the taciturn Toa spent most of his days training or sparring. However, even this obsession wasn't enough to entirely distract him from noticing something off with the Academy, though, being the stoic persona he was, Lazok kept his worries to himself, like he kept most of his thoughts to himself. Joining the Kin gave him a purpose apart from constant battle but still wasn't entirely enough for him to open up. Still, Lazok found himself more and more comfortable with sharing his feelings and expressing gratitude or happiness. By the time a few years had passed, Lazok was still calm and collected, though in a more positive way. Nowadays, he tends to have an aura of peaceful contentedness with his life, and is always willing to impart words of wisdom or mentor younger students. He does this partly out of an obligation to his own mentor, Saeras, though more and more his motives are turning to true altruism and kindness. Powers and Abilities Toa Power Through years of learning in the Academy, training, and fighting on the battlefield, Lazok has honed his elemental power over Earth to master level. His understanding of the nature of Earth as well as the philosophy behind its control have forged a connection with his Toa Power rarely seen in even destined Toa, to the point that Lazok can even perform elemental transmutation. Normal manipulation of Earth comes with ease to Lazok; he can perform incredible feats without moving a muscle or breaking a sweat. Stress Points One of the first abilities he was taught in the Academy, Lazok can actively seek out and find stress points in the earth, so-called 'weak spots' that are especially vulnerable to cracking and other damage. Lazok can then exploit these stress points to break objects made out of earth, simply by punching them in their stress points. Seismic Sense An extension of his stress points ability, Lazok developed his ability to sense weaknesses in the earth into an entire sixth sense. This is a highly advanced ability that allows Lazok to, via vibrations in the earth, 'see' anyone else standing on the ground. Therefore, even when his other senses are robbed, as long as Lazok has contact with the earth he can 'see' everyone else who is also touching the ground (Similar to Toph Bei Fong's ability from Avatar: The Last Airbender). Lazok can also use this seismic sense to detect things that are out of the line of sight; he often uses this as a countermeasure against dust or fog or solid walls. Pillars A move Lazok uses often; raising pillars or columns of earth out of the ground and then moving them as he wishes. Lazok sometimes raises these pillars under his feet, to bring himself and/or allies up to a higher elevation, whether for tactical advantage or mere convenience. Platform One of Lazok's signature moves: he raises a platform into the air from under his feet, so that he is standing on a floating platform of Earth. Lazok can then move this platform around similar to a surfboard; he keeps his balance by maintaining an attraction between his feet and the earth, so that he can execute complicated aerial maneuvers without falling off. Moving Sidewalk Another signature move of Lazok, he moves the earth under his feet like the titular moving sidewalk, moving him along with the pathway whereever he wishes. He can vary the speed of the movement -- often, the Moving Sidewalk trick is used as a surprise attack, suddenly moving Lazok to the enemy for a close-up attack before he/she/it has a chance to react. Quicksand An elemental transmutation technique. Whereas other Toa of Earth soften the composition of earth to mimic the constitution of quicksand, Lazok can actually turn the earth into quicksand directly, trapping his target. Earthquake The 'simplest' of earth elemental moves, but Lazok has taken it to a level beyond the usual. By combining it with his seismic sense as well as application of stress points, Lazok can cause maximum chaos while expending less energy, rather than most Earth Toa who indiscriminately cause tremors in the ground that can be dampened by underground interference. Earth Darts Never having gotten used to artificial firearms, Lazok has always preferred using his own element as ranged weapons. Keeping a pouch of special dirt (into which he has periodically infused elemental energy into to make it easier to control), Lazok can bring some of that dirt out to form into miniature darts. Hovering one in the palm of his hand, Lazok then aims, then when he finds his target, wills the target to shoot forward. Aiming is easy, but more difficult is controlling the force of the projectile. Oftentimes, the darts only serve as nuisances or cause minor injuries, so Lazok prefers his more 'effective' tactics...smashing and bashing. Mask Power Rather than some Toa who choose to have a variety of masks with them for different situations, Lazok has focused only on his Kanohi Matatu to max it out. The ease with which he manipulates objects comes not just from practice but his personal philosophy -- that all things are one, that manipulating the elements or other living beings is the same as moving his own limb or turning his head. In addition, the fluidity with which he manipulates earth is similar to his use of telekinesis, making it come naturally to him. Tactile Telekinesis Lazok used to wonder why Matatu users focused so heavily on the mind rather than the body. Believing that there could be a use for telekinesis in the physical aspect, Lazok experimented with his mask power, eventually developing tactile telekinesis as a result. The whole concept being that one could use telekinesis to support or even augment muscles, allowing monstrous feats of physical strength. Secondary Abilities and Attributes/Learned Skills Immense Strength Tactical Intuition Years on the battlefield and training from the best have given Lazok a thorough understanding of combat tactics and strategies. Close-Range Combat Expert Swordmaster Spirit Link Spirit Channeling Spirit Catalyst Astral Projection/Possession Weapons and Arsenal Though Lazok usually only uses his signature broadsword, he is at least proficient with most melee weapons, having taken classes for them at the Academy. Iterum Occasio Lazok's signature weapon and one he has used since the beginning of his time at the Academy, Lazok's trusty broadsword has seen more battles than he has; he first took it from the 'Wall of Fame', an armory of weapons used by previous Academy Toa. The legacy of the broadsword (at the time unnamed) is not known; Lazok didn't even bother to find out the name of the previous wielder, something he occasionally regrets. Unlike most broadswords, who are defined by the fact that they are double-edged, Lazok's broadsword was named such because it was literally ''broad. Wide as an average Toa's hips and as long as an average Toa is tall, the broadsword is immensely heavy -- most Toa cannot even lift it up, let alone wield it in battle. Only due to Lazok's extreme strength and his use of tactile telekinesis allowed him to use it, and he did so readily, seeing as it distinguished him in battle, making him at once an intimidating and recognizable sight on the field. As mentioned above, the broadsword had no name, and Lazok never bothered to give it one, mostly concerned at the time with how well it did in battle rather than forming a personal bond with it. Even when he found a true calling to the Kin's cause, and learned to fight for something greater than himself, he didn't think of giving his sword a name. It was only after his second death that Lazok's broadsword got its long-deserved name -- by none other than Saeras himself, who named it ''Iterum Occasio, meaning "Second Chance" -- aptly named so because of Lazok's own desire to get a second chance -- at life, and at the opportunity to finally see the Kin's goal to its end. Since then, Iterum Occasio ''has seen several more battles, and eventually followed Lazok to his final journey to the Inheritance. Bardiche and Roundshield In between his first and second death, Lazok occupied a copy of Xerius's armor as a sort of 'ghost'. During this time, while his broadsword was lost, Lazok wielded a gigantic bardiche along with a roundshield. Swords Lazok is proficient with other swords as well, though not to the same extent as with ''Iterum Occasio. Others Lazok has from time to time used weapons close at hand, among them maces, clubs, axes, or even literal pillars. History Early Life As a Matoran, Lazok worked in the Archives in Onu-Metru. He was a part of a special squad designed for the purposes of re-capturing escaped Rahi of Level 4 Danger or above. He developed a feel for combat as a result of working with the S. Ops (short for Suicide Operations, as any Matoran who volunteered to wrestle down Muaka many times larger than they were, had to be crazy), the bestial instinct of tearing at the enemy and an unflinching nature at the sight of blood. Lazok obtained numerous scars from taking down Rahi, soon becoming well respected among the Archives workers. This attracted Zyrul's attention, and the Headmaster visited the Onu-Matoran one fateful day, offering him the chance of greater power. Lazok took it with only a moment's hesitation. Academy Upon being enrolled in the Academy, Lazok learned under the best of the best for two years. Although he wasn't destined to be a Toa, Lazok proved his worth through hard work and sheer determination, quickly rising to the top of his class in Combat and Elemental Control. Lazok was even considered for a position as an Elite, a title given to the top Toa at the Academy and those who answered directly to Zyrul. Lazok, however, had slight misgivings about the whole thing. Although Zyrul had treated him kindly and given him everything he needed, Lazok felt that there were times when Zyrul didn't act like who he seemed to be. There was also the whole moral dilemma of Zyrul transforming Matoran against their destiny. Rebellion Eventually, Lazok found enough like-minded people to form a group against Zyrul. Under their de facto leader Rahkar, the 'Minority' (later called the 'Rebels') caused havoc as they openly defied Zyrul's 'reign', though they were mostly considered a nuisance by Zyrul and his Elites. Though Lazok was among the most active members of the Rebels, he found himself worried at the way some members seemed to participate not out of a genuine belief in their cause, but rather to deal with their own personal problems or for 'fun'. Nevertheless, he remained faithful to his comrades, at one point taking on an entire pack of Kohm singlehandedly to save one of his friends. Though the encounter left him severely wounded, Lazok would go on to participate in several more adventures as the Rebels changed from an annoyance to the Academy to a problem. Once Zyrul began using his resources to hunt the Rebels in earnest, they found themselves pressured. Eventually someone suggested they flee to Mata Nui, and though Lazok doubted the soundness of the plan, he went along with it. He would regret not speaking out when he had the chance. Defeat The trip to Mata Nui started off well, with Rahkar negotiating with an airship pilot sympathetic to their cause and flying over the Silver Sea. When they got to the Great Barrier, however, they met with surprisingly fierce resistance. Meeting the Messiah The Kin Elementa Fall The United Shadow Death The Santun, the Great Kin Massacre, and Rebirth Second Death Ascension The Final Battle Retirement and Professorship The New Kin and Return to Action "Welcome Home" Quotes *These times were his favorite times in the Academy, when one didn't have to worry about tests and could just enjoy the thrill of the wind in the face, the whirring sound of the sword as it was pulled from the scabbard, and the satisfying thud of the enemy dropping to the ground. -- Lazok's thoughts during a training session *"I think I see a good friendship." -- Hokol, Academy Toa, on his sense of fellowship with Lazok, Seshu, and Vorpal *"I am neither for or against Zyrul. However, he turned our own classmates against us. Whether he did so honestly or with trickery does not matter, but I will not rest until all our conflicts have been resolved either way." -- Lazok to Skover, on his official stance in regard to Zyrul and the Rebels *"Hey, Lazok..." "Yes?" "I'm...I'm sorry. Thanks for...for believing in me." "Always, my friend." -- Seshu and Lazok See Also Gallery:Lazok Coalition of Charity (BZPRPG) Kin (BZPRPG) Towers of the Scholars (BZPRPG) The Academy Category:Toa (BZPRPG)